Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture

thesandeman

Can't find the other thread.
Hannah Kiely has stepped down as Chief Executive now.

nuac

Just heard that on the news.

How many resignations is that on that and related projects?

Who is protecting the taxpayers' money, or should we not question that because it is "for art"?

ronnie3585

nuac wrote: »

Who is protecting the taxpayers' money, or should not question it because it is "for art"?

Isn’t one of the problems that there’s been no (or very little) taxpayers’ money provided?

jimbobaloobob

yea promised money by the county and city councils was rolled back on or greatly reduced.

Whereisgalway

Very embarrassing for the city, Galway should have withdrawn at the bidding process when they knew this would have happened. I guess the greed and egos got too much

Zzippy

Galway (council?) seems to love these awards but not the work needed to follow through. The Green Leaf award for environmental sustainability, then they rezone the richly biodiverse meadows in Merlin Woods to build a hospice. The city of culture, with its requirement for a concert venue we didn't have, then do feck all, fight amongst themselves in the council and make a hames of everything. Honestly, these wasters couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery...

Mrs OBumble

Zzippy wrote: »

Honestly, these wasters couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery...

Remind me who keeps electing them?

Curly head

Mrs OBumble wrote:

Remind me who keeps electing them?

Would have thought that was obvious!

TerrorFirmer

Zzippy wrote: »

The Green Leaf award for environmental sustainability, then they rezone the richly biodiverse meadows in Merlin Woods to build a hospice.

This is what really annoys me, the fact that some councillors regularly vote things through even though they are expressly advised by the officials that it's not a good idea. (rezoning of that land prime example)

There is so much nonsense goes on at City Hall that just does not happen at County Hall.

Good summary here of who exactly voted for, and against, the re-zoning at Merlin Park.

zell12

We should just give it to Limerick2020, as we are not fit to host it with our ongoing problems in
housing, traffic, rip-off hotels, lip service towards bi-lingual city status..

Whereisgalway

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Remind me who keeps electing them?

Catherine Connolly was orginally a city councillor. She had a slogan ‘for the common good’,. Then she narrowly got elected as a TD and opted to give her seat to her sister. So to answer your question it’s nepotism

siltirocker

zell12 wrote: »

We should just give it to Limerick2020, as we are not fit to host it with our ongoing problems in
housing, traffic, rip-off hotels, lip service towards bi-lingual city status..

Eh. . . do you not remember when the were the Irish City of Culture in 2014? It was more of a shambles then this leading into it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/galway-2020-the-implosion-of-the-capital-of-culture-project-1.3642293

Interesting article, if depressing. "Unusually, the EU monitoring panel sought an update from Galway 2020 in November, ahead of the next scheduled monitoring meeting in 2019." This reads like an early intervention to stave off a complete crisis.

"Next to the Government, which has committed €15 million, the two local authorities are principal funders. Each promised €6 million, although the county council has now said it can only pay €2 million of that. A botched attempt to appoint a business-engagement director to raise up to €7 million in corporate sponsorship, and a general lack of confidence by the business community, means that only €23 million of a quoted €46 million budget is currently guaranteed. The EU element is valued at just €1.5 million."

That council funding is misleading as afaik that was based on a rates increase. Seems they expected businesses to pay twice over, via rates and via corporate sponsorship.

Robbo

Now the Druid have pulled out. This is quite a substantial loss.

If it's politically expedient to do so, the Public Accounts Committee are going to have a field day with this and rightly so.

Robbo

Robbo wrote: »

Now the Druid have pulled out. This is quite a substantial loss.

If it's politically expedient to do so, the Public Accounts Committee are going to have a field day with this and rightly so.

I think it's a bit early to be calling in the PAC but things must be much, much worse than even the papers are reporting if the likes of Druid are pulling out, unless this is brinksmanship on their part.

Storm 10

Limericks must be having as good laugh at this fiasco

Whereisgalway

Absolutely shambles, Galway should had it over to limerick/Waterford as soon as possible

westgolf

John Crumlish, Galway Arts Festival ceo has resigned from the 2020 board.

This crisis may just be the thing it needs to get things sorted, I'd still have faith a great year will be produced. That being said, with the other issues Galway is facing, an innovative solution like spreading the events up the west coast could be amazing. Would be massive for places like Roundstone/Ballina/Westport/Sligo and an "Atlantic 20/20" would be class. (I know this is pure dreaming, btw)

sword of light

Rita Ann Higgins turned out to be Mystic Meg

“We have a great little city here, a pity little city, a ****ty little city”

“Govern, govern my arse they wouldn't govern a sly fart on a runway.
We'll end up crowned the capital of fools”

Mrs OBumble

Robbo wrote: »

Now the Druid have pulled out. This is quite a substantial loss.

If it's politically expedient to do so, the Public Accounts Committee are going to have a field day with this and rightly so.

Druid have pulled out of one particular work. They have not withdrawn all support - according to today's Advertiser.

The Lost Sheep

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Absolutely shambles, Galway should had it over to limerick/Waterford as soon as possible

And what would the point of that be?
It is a shambles but still time for things to turn around

Whereisgalway

There’s a prime time bit on now if anyone’s interested

zell12

Former director of housing with the Council is now the CEO for 2020 :pac:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/new-ceo-appointed-to-galway-2020-project-873028.html

Whereisgalway

zell12 wrote: »

Former director of housing with the Council is now the CEO for 2020 :pac:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/new-ceo-appointed-to-galway-2020-project-873028.html

Hahahahahahaha only in Galway 😂😂😂

Webbs

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Hahahahahahaha only in Galway ������

She led the 2020 bid team so was surprising in a way that she wasnt CEO from the start but had heard there were issues getting sabbatical from her current role. That looks like it has been sorted now.

jimbobaloobob

Was she on primetime when it was being reported about the funding etc calling for heads to role?

thesandeman

Aideen McGinley (chairperson) has given up as well now.
This is cinemagate all over again.

smurf492

Time for someone to look into the corruption which takes place in this town in every department, every association... Its clear and is documented in national papers...our Pearse Stadium concerts are just an example

smurf492

smurf492 wrote: »

Time for someone to look into the corruption which takes place in this town in every department, every association... Its clear and is documented in national papers...our Pearse Stadium concerts are just an example

2+2=5

Whereisgalway

Embarrassing for the city

fergiesfolly

At this stage, they should offer it to Limerick, apologise to the people of Galway and then promise not to apply for any more public events that cost more than a fiver and have a possibility to embarrass the city.
Because that's all it is now. An embarrassment.

zell12

Is there a media blackout or something?
Very little information coming out given it's only nine months away

Gingganggooley

zell12 wrote:

Is there a media blackout or something? Very little information coming out given it's only nine months away

Shussshh. Don't mention the war.

We're trying to keep this embarrassment under wraps.

thesandeman

Some British company who previously worked with Macnas seem to have taken over the running of it now. It was reported in the Tribune (I think) a couple of months ago.
They were running an open day for volunteers recently.

fergiesfolly

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/game-is-up-for-city-of-culture-project-as-galway-2020-falls-short-of-target-914290.html

I wonder should we bow out now and not keep spending taxpayers money on what looks like a continuing shambles.

fergiesfolly

fergiesfolly wrote: »

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/game-is-up-for-city-of-culture-project-as-galway-2020-falls-short-of-target-914290.html

I wonder should we bow out now and not keep spending taxpayers money on what looks like a continuing shambles.

I stopped reading after "Fine Gael councillor Padraig Conneely said"

fergiesfolly

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I stopped reading after "Fine Gael councillor Padraig Conneely said"

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Personally can't stand the man. But that doesn't make him wrong.

Has there been any positive output from the 2020 committee in the last few weeks.
Fresh appointments and fresh initiatives ( fundraising mostly) several weeks ago, but nothing I've heard or seen recently.

I've no gripe with Galway 2020 or using public money to fund it, as long as it's run correctly and open to scrutiny by the public.
There's was so much nonsense surrounding the Pallas cinema project and the Volvo Ocean race, I'd hate to see the city being mixed up on another mess, or we won't be able to attract other large events or projects here.

zell12

Ms Coop and Ms Marriage to the rescue

ChewyLouie

The Galway 2020 opening ceremony has been pushed to February.
I'm not allowed to post links yet but it's on RTE News.

The opening ceremony for Galway’s 2020 European Capital of Culture will not be held until next February.

Galway City Council was told yesterday that a decision had been taken to use the "celtic calendar" for event planning and that this would give the opening ceremony "more of a Celtic feel".

It means that instead of an anticipated marquee launch in early January, the project will not be officially launched until around mid-February.

CEO Patricia Philbin said the opening ceremony was still a "work in progress" but that it would be a major outdoor event.

She said an exact date for this had yet to be identified.

ChewyLouie

ChewyLouie wrote: »

The Galway 2020 opening ceremony has been pushed to February.
I'm not allowed to post links yet but it's on RTE News.

Tbf, that's a great way to turn a negative into a positive. I hope it's a success.

thecretinhop

Deleted User wrote: »

Tbf, that's a great way to turn a negative into a positive. I hope it's a success.

Tbh they are desperately scrambling for more time..

thecretinhop

thecretinhop wrote: »

Tbh they are desperately scrambling for more time..

Indeed, and shortening the year by at least 6 weeks, but it's a stroke of genius to sell it as a positive idea.

pure.conya

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Indeed, and shortening the year by at least 6 weeks, but it's a stroke of genius to sell it as a positive idea.

it is not, it stinks of desperation and by actually having to do this publicly is further endangering the whole project in the public eye and more so to possible investors, the whole project is a joke and we will be remembered as a laughing stock over it, some capital of culture lol

only thing that could save it in my opinion is a project 06 style coming together of real artists from across the county and whoever delivers this deserves a statue placed in the square to be remembered forever because this has monumental failure written all over it

This will go the same as the second Volvo race event. Loads of sniping and complaining beforehand, looking for scapegoats, but once things get underway, it'll all be forgotten and we'll all have a great auld time

ChewyLouie

Deleted User wrote: »

This will go the same as the second Volvo race event. Loads of sniping and complaining beforehand, looking for scapegoats, but once things get underway, it'll all be forgotten and we'll all have a great auld time

... and people will be left unpaid forcing small companies into closure?

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

This will go the same as the second Volvo race event. Loads of sniping and complaining beforehand, looking for scapegoats, but once things get underway, it'll all be forgotten and we'll all have a great auld time

Very little of the legacy stuff the Volvo Ocean race promised is visible on the Dock Road / Docks

Whereisgalway

This is embarrassing

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Very little of the legacy stuff the Volvo Ocean race promised is visible on the Dock Road / Docks

The metal fencing between the Dock road and the Dock is one visible legacy element.

zell12

Operations Manager has quit - responsible for the day-to-day running of the capital of culture organisation, including finance and risk management.

Think you can do a better? then apply for the job!

L'Enfer du Nord

This is turning out as I expected so far, only perhaps worse. I expected a load of bickering and budgetry overruns. When 2020 finally arrives all that will be forgotten, the 'culture' will be a bit meh but most people will agree that it was a great party.

The funding and bickering are much worse than expected, eventually this may end up being bailed out by central govt., other arts programmes and projects will have their funding cut to pay for it.

It may still end up being a great party, but its legacy will be bad blood between galway and which ever elements of the artistic community end up having their funding cut to pay for it.